


Clawfully Furmiliar

by onlyhans



Series: тoмorrow : oneshots [2]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Bang Chan musical genius wbk, Cats, Christmas, Hallmark who dis, Han Jisung | Han Is Bad at Feelings, Hwang Hyunjin is Whipped, Hyunjin is a firefighter, Jisung and cats don't mix, M/M, Mentioned Yang Jeongin | I.N, Secondhand embarrassment, So much cat propaganda, Sweet Hwang Hyunjin, You should dance better, You should rap better, his name was there like literally once, very very small mention tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:15:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28379859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyhans/pseuds/onlyhans
Summary: Home for the holidays, Han Jisung is left alone in a house that doesn't belong to him. Well, mostly alone. He has three cats to keep him company. Few issues with that: Han Jisung doesn't do cats. Cats don't dig him either. His ex just so happens to be a goddamn emergency responder.Purrfect.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Han Jisung | Han/Hwang Hyunjin
Series: тoмorrow : oneshots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2053404
Comments: 12
Kudos: 159





	Clawfully Furmiliar

**Author's Note:**

> It's a bit late, but yeah!! Happy holidays!  
> The title is a play on "awfully familiar" and you'll see why ;))

Cats had never taken fondly to one Han Jisung. It never really affected him all that much. With their sharp claws and hairballs, Jisung could go all his life without feeling the need to interact with felines in general.

Life, as per usual, had other plans.

"So you're sure you can watch them while I'm gone?" A worried voice cut through Jisung's staring contest with the little critter on the opposite side of the room; he turned to face Minho.

"Yeah, of course," Jisung said before absentmindedly swirling his small cup of cranberry juice around. Such a  _ Minho _ thing, to only have sour juice. "I told you I needed a place to stay. Consider this my rent."

Minho cast him an incredulous look over his shoulder as he reached for a glass of his own. "Look, all I'm saying is that it's your first month back in forever. I feel like the shittiest friend on planet earth for abandoning you."

"It's literally my hometown, though?" True enough, Jisung hadn't been able to do anything against the overwhelming nostalgia that hit him as soon as he stepped off the train. "Besides," he said, looking over the man he considered his best friend. "You have a hot date." He lifted the cup in cheers.

Minho bumped his head on the cupboard door in his haste to whip around. "What—  _ no _ ."

Jisung raised an eyebrow at him and lowered his juice. "You're spending Christmas with him and his family." His eyes narrowed into slits. "I deem it love."

"You shouldn't  _ deem _ shit, Han Jisung."

"Too late, it's been deemed."

Minho rolled his eyes and set a travel mug down on the counter. Almost as if on cue, one of the cats leapt up onto the counter. While his friend simply chuckled and reached for the cat, murmuring something about how it wasn't dinnertime yet, Jisung stiffened. Tomi, a gray and spiteful Cornish Rex -- Minho's childhood pet -- still stood out in his mind's eye. Despite being arguably the two most important parts of Minho's life at the time, Jisung and the cat never got along great. If it were up to Tomi's talons, Jisung would probably be much more rugged in the looks department.

"What? No mug for me?" He said with a laugh, eyeing the cat warily --  _ Soonie _ , he was pretty sure, if Minho's hasty introductions were worth anything.

"It's not for me either, dipshit." Minho hissed, rolling his eyes. His undeniable amusement could be found in the slight quirk of his lips that glimpsed before he turned away to slide the thermos under the keurig. Everything about Minho was subtle, from his expressions to his affection. Maybe that's why he liked cats so much. "I'm meeting Chris soon."

"Ohhhhh _ Chris _ ," Jisung said with a smirk, observing with smugness as Minho's shoulders tensed. "We have a name to match the elusive—" 

Minho shot a noncommittal glare towards Jisung, and opened his mouth to what would have undoubtedly been a snarky response had it not been for a tentative knock. His mouth snapped shut, and he glanced down at the coffee. Jisung saw his lips turn upwards into a soft smile, and averted his eyes -- seeing Minho like  _ that _ (whatever  _ that _ was) felt awfully intrusive. Knowing that somehow someone had managed to domesticate his best friend made something in Jisung's chest tighten.

He swallowed and forced a grin of his own in place. "Go get him, loverboy."

Minho twisted around, the smile still playing across his face as he screwed on the thermos cap. His gaze shifted to the foyer, and then back to Jisung. "But—"

"Yes,  _ I'm sure. _ " Jisung huffed, and stood up. He practically shooed Minho from his own house. Soonie --  _ or maybe it was Doongie? _ \-- followed them out of the kitchen. "You have everything?" He asked Minho out on the front step.

"Yep, dropped it off last night. We figured it'd be easier without worrying about luggage." His gaze was fixed on the guy sitting in the passenger seat of the pickup parked in his driveway, slightly blurred by the frosty glass. He looked back to Jisung, smile fading into hesitance. "Seriously though, I feel super duper horrible right now. Definitely mega owe you for this."

Jisung sighed. Truthfully, he'd been looking forward to a week spent with his childhood best friend during Christmas, but, as always, life decided otherwise. It was his fault, really. They were adults now, and he shouldn't have expected Minho to be able to drop everything for him when he showed up unannounced hours earlier. "You're paying for coffee when you get back." Jisung glanced over to the pickup truck and waved. "And you have to introduce me to prince charming, too."

Minho elbowed him, and Jisung shoved him in return, laughing like old times. 

"So you'll be here? When I get back, I mean."

"Unless you don't want me to be," Jisung said, eyebrows furrowing. His face relaxed a moment later, faux realization dawning on him. "Ohh you want the house to yourself and your boo to release a week's worth of family-induced pent up tension?"

" _ No _ ," Minho screeched, smacking him again. "You blithering idiot, I want to know if you're leaving me for Japan again."

Jisung's eyebrows stopped wiggling. "I don't know, the snacks  _ are _ pretty good," he offered weakly, trying to keep the joking atmosphere. "And technically you're the one leaving me right now."

Minho rolled his eyes and flicked Jisung's forehead, accepting that as the only answer he was going to get at the moment. "Anyways, I should probably head out. It isn't fair to keep him waiting." He jerked a thumb over in the direction of the truck. "See you soon?"

"Have fun!" Jisung called. If Minho noticed the way he neglected to answer the question, he didn't press on it.

"Oh, and—" Minho yelled from halfway down his driveway, walking backwards now. "If you need help, I have numbers written down in the kitchen."

Jisung nodded and put a thumbs up high in the air. As the truck pulled out of the driveway, Jisung felt his arms move in obnoxious waving motions, and he knew a smile was on his face, but he couldn't feel anything except the constricting feeling in his chest once more.

He turned around to face the empty house. Alone.

Soonie stared at him from his perch on the stairs, and Jisung stopped dead in his tracks. 

_ Almost _ alone.

√\/√

Sleeping on Minho's bed felt too weird of an idea, so he settled on the couch. Jisung figured it'd be alright, considering he was the only one there, and Minho's room felt like forbidden territory. He did not, however, take into account the demon roommates he had been left with for the week. It couldn't have been past six in the morning when something first skirted past his hand, which was draped over the edge of the sofa. Jisung grumbled a little bit and curled up in a ball, the blanket long gone -- probably kicked off the couch some hours ago.

Something tickled his feet, and Jisung's eyes shot open. The room was still cloaked in morning darkness, so it clearly was not a sane time to be awake yet. Jisung shivered at the loss of his blanket, and at the obvious demonic presence in the room, and somehow managed to fall back to the blissful quiet of sleep. 

Until all the wind effectively got knocked out of his lungs, that is. He shot upward, eyes wide. Something sprung off his chest at the sudden movement, leaving him to cough and splutter in the golden light sifting in through the windows. So he managed to make it to sunrise.  _ Someone needs to get Buzzfeed up in here _ , he thought, peering around the room for the source of the paranormal activity. There, in the middle of the rug, sat Doongie. Jisung locked eyes with the cat, still somewhat wheezing.

"What?" He finally asked, fully aware that he was currently talking to a  _ cat _ that clearly didn't speak his language. "Does.. do you need to go outside? Is that.. does Minho do that? Are you hungry?"

Without so much as a blink, the cat turned away and went off down the hallway. Jisung let out a small sigh of relief, and rubbed absentmindedly at his chest. It wasn't like the cat had mortally wounded him or whatever, but it was a bit disconcerting to be awoken by getting pounced on. Jisung stood up and shuddered. Is this what Minho dealt with everyday?  _ Why do people own cats? _

Jisung plodded into the kitchen, eyes bleary and restrained morning breath threatening to choke him. Despite having been in his hometown for a few days already to visit with family, adapting to an entirely different time zone took some getting used to, and certainly was not aided by the lack of sleep. Something wove in between and around his legs as he walked, and Jisung would have fallen if not for his hand on the counter. He glared down at demon #2 and could have sworn Soonie winked back up at him. 

He nudged Soonie away gently with his socked foot and continued on to the pantry. Once he flung the door open, he was met with two options in the box labeled so generously, "cat food." Soonie slithered around his ankles again, successfully gaining access to the pantry. Only problem: Minho had not left a cat-feeding itinerary, so Jisung would just have to wing it and hope he didn't kill Minho's children while he was gone. That'd be an unfortunate Christmas.

"What do you think?" Jisung looked down at the cat. "Wet, or dry?"

Jisung shrugged and dug a scoop into the dry… Kibble? The doorbell rang while he was still scooping food into the bowls, and Jisung straightened up, eyes narrowed. Too tired to bother setting the bowls down, Jisung made his way to the front door and yanked it open. Minho would have told his friends he wasn't going to be home...  _ right _ ?

He glanced down.  _ Oh. _ A package. 

Shifting both bowls into the crook of one arm, Jisung pushed the handle and propped the door open. Just as he began leaning down to pick up the amazon box, the familiar feeling of something soft whipped by the space between his legs. It lit up some delayed alarm in Jisung's mind, and he withdrew and slammed the door closed -- just in time to watch Soonie dash across the front lawn, orange fur stark against the nearly blinding snow.

Some vague, more awake portion of Jisung's mind was clouded in panic. All he could do externally was sigh and watch.

He retreated to the kitchen and set down a bowl for Doongie, though the cat was nowhere to be seen. 

They probably plotted it, the little demons. Jisung raked a hand through his messy hair, eyes catching on the only paper left out in the near-spotless kitchen. (Seriously, Minho needed to let loose a little.) Maybe… it was time to call for help.

A little pathetic, considering he hadn't been alone with the cats for more than fifteen hours; Minho's children took priority over Jisung's pride. 

_ Emergency numbers because I'm such a nice friend: _

His eyes scanned over the short list, consisting of both Minho's and Chris's numbers, as well as someone that was probably a friend of Minho's. He glanced out the kitchen window with a sigh, and then narrowed his eyes. Was that--

_ No way _ .

Jisung groaned and bumped his head against the cupboard a few times, still barely conscious and already hating existence. Minho  _ so _ owed him. Because Soonie was definitely clinging to the lowest branch of a tree at the moment, and Jisung was definitely wishing he stayed in Japan for Christmas. 

He let out a sigh and patted down his pocket for his phone. Exhausted from his travels the day before, Jisung neglected to change out of his clothes from the day before, leaving him in ratty joggers and one of his dad's button-ups. Thankfully, Minho had a pair of crocs laying out by the back door. An overly tired Jisung would do no good trying to find some in the front closet.

"What in the—" Jisung muttered once sliding into the shoes -- no way were these Minho's. His boyfriend's, maybe. The crocs were very roomy, but Jisung could care less. His only objective was to not lose the cat on his very first day of babysitting. He clomped outside, the shoes leaving huge imprints in the snow as he went. "Soonie," he called, hands cupped around his mouth to extend the sound. Jisung cringed and let his hands fall to his side -- Soonie was a cat, and only dogs responded to calls like that; plus he didn't want to attract the notice of the neighbors.

Soonie clung to the lowest branch, just a little bit too far out of Jisung's reach. He groaned and glanced around helplessly. "Please?" He asked, looking back up at the cat. When that proved unyielding, Jisung turned his glare on the tree trunk. According to his mom, Minho and him used to have climbing contests in elementary school -- what better time to put it to use?

(He desperately tried to forget the vague memory of being stuck on top of a chain link fence. It didn't work.)

Jisung attempted to dig his foot into the bark, and scowled when it just slid down. The crocs had to go. He kicked them off, and hissed at the damp bark against his toes. The things he did to not get murdered by his best friend, really. Somehow, he managed to shimmy up the trunk -- if any neighbors were watching, Minho might be getting some interesting calls later.

"Soonie, baby," he whispered, cringing his way through what he hoped to be a reassuring smile. "Can you  _ please _ come over here. Please? For… uncle jisungie?"

The damned cat backed up further on the branch.

Jisung inhaled deeply and glanced up to the heavens in some sort of prayer for patience to whomever was listening to his struggles. If he ended up being reborn as a cat in the next life, Jisung would have no qualms about turning to satanism like his feline counterparts.

He gripped onto the branch Soonie rested on and sized it up, taking a deep breath before swinging down and struggling to hook his leg up and around it. Once there, Jisung let out a small huff of momentary triumph. He half-heartedly beckoned for Soonie, and jolted in surprise when he all but leapt into his arms. Jisung allowed himself a second to bury his nose into the cat's snow speckled ginger fur as it squirmed in his lap.

Then something started to slip from his pocket. Jisung's eyes shot open, and his hand slapped his thigh just in time to catch his phone. Honestly, it was a miracle he'd made it this far without it falling. His stomach lurched.  _ Falling _ .

He peered down at the snow-covered roots beneath them. They did not look very comfortable.  _ Shit. _

Jisung glanced down at the phone in his hand, and then at Soonie. The cat stared at him with wide, trusting eyes.  _ Ugh _ . He could text Minho. Minho would probably know who to call for help.

_ Yeah, he left you a list, dumbass. _

How potentially embarrassing would it be to call emergency services? It came down to whether he wanted to interrupt Minho's holiday and potentially assure him of Jisung's irresponsiblity, or risk having an awkward conversation with a 911 operator.

He quickly typed in the three numbers and raised it to his ear, lip pulled between his teeth in an attempt to ignore the worries flooding his mind.

"Nine-one-one operator, what's your emergency?"

Feeling guilty, Jisung didn't respond for a moment.

"Hello?"

"Um, I'm— it's not… not super urgent, I just—" he sucked in a breath. "I'm stuck outside. In a tree. With… with a cat. So, if you're not too busy could you send someone from the fire department? I'm, ah—" Soonie kicked his stomach, and Jisung winced. "Alone."

"What is the address?"

Jisung gave it to the best of his memory, and apologized sheepishly. "Don't worry about me if there are more important things right now, please. I'll be okay here for a bit… probably."

The operator chuckled. "Don't worry, the fire department has been notified. Someone is on their way. Would you like to stay on the call?"

"No, it's alright. Really I should be fine, I'm tucked against the trunk and branch junction, so I won't fall," Jisung hesitated. "How far is the fire department?"

"The person deployed to your location was already prepared and volunteered."

Jisung winced. "Okay, thank you very much."

He hung up with the operator and resigned to snuggle Soonie into submission while trying to prepare how the hell he was going to leave the house again after this. Just as he started to shiver, the worst possible thing to happen, happened. He heard sirens.

_ Oh. Oh  _ _ no. _

Jisung buried his face into Soonie's back, caring little for his rumbles of complaint. It was about time he found a very dark hole to hide and die in. He hardly dared to glance up once the sirens stopped, but Jisung was met with the picture of a huge red fire truck parked on the street in front of Minho's house, and a tall man running down the shallow slope of his backyard. "Kill me now," Jisung muttered into Soonie's fur. The look the cat gave him once he withdrew suggested he was thinking about doing just that.

"Hey," the fireman called as he neared the tree, only the slightest bit breathy. He supposed they had workout routines or something -- job qualifications Jisung did not meet. "You okay?"

Jisung snorted. "Well, as okay as I can be."

"I thought the tree would be taller.." the fireman trailed off, much closer now. Hearing the voice, Jisung's breath caught in his throat.  _ Hah. No way. You're delusional. _ He peered down at the ground below again, and nearly lost his balance when he met Hyunjin's wide, curious eyes. Had he not known better, Jisung would compare them to Soonie's. 

Admittedly, Hyunjin did not look terrible. The large firefighter coat hung off his frame and Jisung could have sworn those were suspenders he saw peeking out from beneath it. As for his face, it had lost some of the softness of highschool, and was currently twisting into an amused expression at Jisung's expense. Recognition, mirth, and… something else glittered behind the thin black metal framing Hyunjin's eyes.

"You're not Minho."

"And you clearly never got your prescription fixed," the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them -- a reflex of so many years prior. He snapped his mouth shut, stunned. Hyunjin's look of shock mirrored his own for a second before he gave way to laughter.

Jisung couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from twitching up.

"Han Jisung," Hyunjin said, arms folded as he looked up at him, gaze passive. "I didn't think you were back."

"Well, I didn't think I'd start the morning stuck in a tree either," Jisung muttered, "and here we are."

"Bet you're wishing you stayed in Japan, huh?" Hyunjin said through a light smile.

"How did you know?"

"Just a hunch." Hyunjin seemed to close off once more after that, somehow morphing back into Hwang Hyunjin the firefighter rather than the annoying and lovable Hyunjin Jisung got to know in highschool. "Hand me the cat? I can bring him to the house."

"And you'll come back for me?" Jisung asked, and then winced at the word choice. He held Soonie out for him to take, embarrassment warming his face against the frigid winds. 

Hyunjin sent him a wry smile -- the only clue he'd noticed what Jisung let slip -- and reached for Soonie. Jisung's hand brushed Hyunjin's gloves, and he withdrew as if burned. "Yeah," Hyunjin murmured as he turned away, "I wouldn't leave you here."

Jisung's heart plummeted. He wanted to reach for Hyunjin, wanted to apologise, but it was far too late. This was the universe mocking him, it had to be -- the cruel humor in it all. Perhaps the worst part was that Hyunjin did come back.

He came back, and he wordlessly opened his arms. The glance he sent Jisung was more of a challenge than anything, and Jisung never was one to back down. He just let out the umpteenth sigh of the day and prepared to fall. "Drop me and you're a dead man, Hwang Hyunjin."

Hyunjin chuckled, and it was only then that Jisung realized his words could once again be taken ambiguously. "I won't."

(He didn't.)

√\/√

"How are the babies?" Minho asked on a phonecall the following day. He had arrived at Chris's the previous afternoon, and whined about how it felt like a  _ goddamn interview _ with the parents for the first few hours.

"They're good, they're fine," Jisung reassured, eyes finding Soonie curled up in the chair opposite the couch. He recovered from his brief and traumatic excursion outside of the house, and had since resorted to curling up anywhere he could keep Jisung in sight. It was heartwarming, really. 

"...You're definitely lying."

Jisung hummed, effectively tuning him out. He turned a page of the holiday clothing magazine in front of him absentmindedly. "Why didn't you tell me Hwang Hyunjin was a fireman?"

Minho went quiet. "You saw Hyunjin?"

"...oh yeah, um… totally random. Yes." Jisung grinned and flipped another page.

"Oh my god Jisung did you burn my house down."

"No?" Honestly, it might be safer if Minho thought he started a fire instead of nearly losing his cat. "Anyways, so do you feed them wet or dry food?"

"I usually have a routine, but it's okay to just let it go for the week," Minho said. Some muffled talking sounded in the background, and his friend laughed softly. "Okay, I'm gonna let you go now, Jisung. Merry Christmas Eve-Eve!"

"Bye bye," Jisung said, and clicked the 'hang up' button without a second thought. He drew his legs closer to himself on the couch -- it was so cold in this house for  _ no reason _ . Just as he went to flip another page of the horrendous catalog, Jisung paused. He could have sworn he heard faint meowing.

Soonie was asleep on the chair. Jisung stood up and stretched, eyes narrowing in his search for Doongie. Unless Minho had some other cat he was unaware of, Doongie was the only one that could be making those noises. He originally headed towards the kitchen, and then doubled back when that only seemed to get him further from the meowing. As he neared the bathroom, Jisung's eyes started to widen. The door to that room had always been closed before Jisung used it, and since Minho hadn't said anything, he just assumed it was an accident. But now, every step towards the half-bath reminded him of the obvious renovation work happening on the sink and cabinets. 

Renovation that left little gaps in the wall.

Somehow already knowing his answer -- because why would the universe choose that moment to spare him? -- Jisung knelt down outside the bathroom and pressed his ear to the drywall. Claws scraped against the inside of the wall, accompanied by almost desperate mewling. Jisung cringed and stood up. His forehead came to rest against that same wall as he tried to figure out his next move.

Doongie clearly was not within reach of the original hole, otherwise he'd be able to find his own way out. Once again, Jisung's phone lay heavy in his pocket. He  _ could _ call Minho, but then again what good would that do? Minho was probably busy, having a fun day with his boyfriend and probably eventual in-laws. Doongie let out a pitiful yowl from within the wall, and Jisung let out a low hiss of frustration.  _ Why did he suck so bad at taking care of cats? _

He couldn't put the blame on Minho for any of this. It wasn't his fault the hire cancelled last minute, or that this Chris guy had him all excited for the holidays. If anything, Jisung was relieved. He hadn't seen Minho look this happy about Christmas since middle school. 

Jisung reluctantly dug out his phone and pressed three buttons in quick succession.

"Nine-one-one, what's your emergency?"

He let out a quiet sigh. "My name is Han Jisung, and there is an animal stuck in my wall."

"Perhaps animal control would be better for this?"

"... It's just that it's not my cat, but I'm watching it, and I don't know— I've heard the fire department helps with this kind of stuff? I don't think it's urgent or anything, but I just want to make sure he's okay and—"

"I'll see what I can do."

"If there's no one available to send, I could probably figure out something on my own?" It came out much more like a question than anything, and Jisung knocked his head lightly against the wall. 

After what seemed like forever, a firetruck parked outside the house again, and Jisung was waiting for it, pacing anxiously. He couldn't even find it in him to care when he yanked the door open to reveal an exasperated Hyunjin. Doongie had stopped meowing around ten minutes prior, and Jisung was just about willing to do anything. Waiting in silence was  _ horrible _ . 

"Minho should have never left you with his damn cats," Hyunjin hissed as he entered the house. The glare he had directed at Jisung softened when he saw the blatant distress written across his face. Jisung only got more worried upon seeing the smear of soot on Hyunjin's cheekbone. Before he could stop himself, his thumb was rubbing across it. Hyunjin didn't move away. "It's nothing," he murmured. "Now what happened to this poor cat, hm? Lead the way."

"I—" Jisung started down the hallway, breath hitching at the thought of Doongie stuck alone in the wall. "I don't know," his voice barely restrained the panic inside, and Jisung could feel Hyunjin's eyes on him. "I just... I was on a call with Minho earlier, and then I realized I hadn't seen the one cat since I fed them earlier, and there was meowing in the wall."

Hyunjin nodded, and it looked as though he were contemplating something, then– "there's no meowing."

Jisung shot him a panicked look, and Hyunjin sucked in a breath. "Okay then. Mind if my partner comes in?— to help, I mean he is my.. my coworker, you know," Hyunjin coughed awkwardly, and Jisung let out a soft snort. 

"Yah, Hwang Hyunjin, go get your  _ partner _ ."

Hyunjin rolled his eyes into a glare that Jisung could feel even as he crouched by the wall. "Whatever. Him and a handsaw." Hyunjin moved to walk away, but paused midstep. "This isn't the same cat as yesterday, is it?"

"No."

"Thank god, wouldn't want Minho to have to pay for cat therapy."

"Shut your mouth, Hwang," Jisung said quietly in response, grateful that Hyunjin was trying to bring  _ some _ sense of normalcy to their situation. He pressed his palm against the wall as Hyunjin's footsteps retreated down the hallway, attempting to feel some semblance of warmth that would assure him of the cat's life. 

As much as he disliked cats, he knew Soonie and Doongie deserved better than how he was treating them. Once Minho got back, Jisung would happily agree to never watch them again. It'd be an easy feat if he went back to Japan.

"Who is  _ this _ bad at taking care of cats, I mean serio—" the voice rushed in with the wind as the front door swung open. Whomever was talking, Hyunjin silenced with a loud "shhh". The loudness of their boots approaching didn't make Jisung look up, too ashamed to raise his eyes for fear they would see him tearing up. Over a  _ cat _ , no less.

"Hey, um, mister… Hyunjin's ex... person? We're gonna need to get in there to get the cat, so can you move please?"

Hyunjin's frantic gestures cut off the moment Jisung looked up, and it did help force a bright smile on his face as he got to his feet. He backed up almost into the corner to watch them work, clutching his arms in a vice grip. He felt worried eyes on him every so often, but didn't have the heart to glance up and see what was going on.

They were talking in low murmurs, trying to figure out how to best do it without bringing harm to the animal. Hyunjin walked past Jisung, and then returned the same way with something in his hand. His boots slowed for a moment on the way back, as if he thought about stopping in front of Jisung. 

A few loud bangs, a piece of the wall flew off, effectively grabbing Jisung's attention. In the space between studs, a clump of ginger and white fur rose and fell in a shallow motion. Jisung gasped, but before he could so much as move, Hyunjin was kneeling down and ripping off his thick gloves. With the utmost care, he removed Doongi from the space and pulled the cat's small form to his chest. As he stood up, he whispered something to the coworker, prompting him to salute Jisung and head out.

"Thank you," Jisung said as Hyunjin came to a stop in front of him, cat still nestled in his arms. He had ditched the thick fireman's coat as well, leaving him in a fitted T and suspenders -- _ knew it _ . Any other time, and Jisung would have laughed. 

"Oh, I wouldn't be thanking me just yet," Hyunjin laughed, stroking the top of Doongie's head with a finger. "Wait until Minho hears about this."

Jisung gasped, a small smile taking over his face. "You wouldn't dare."

They fell into silence, both watching Doongie relax in Hyunjin's arms. The poor thing was probably just cold. He started purring after not too long, and Jisung cooed. 

"How did this happen, anyway?" Hyunjin asked, his voice quiet. The question could be taken many ways, but Jisung sighed -- he knew what Hyunjin meant. 

"Got a job offer back here," he shrugged, avoiding Hyunjin's eyes. "Figured I should scope it out a bit before deciding to leave Japan totally or not. I came to visit my parents and Minho and…"  _ and you _ , "and then he said he was going to be busy and that his hired cat sitter cancelled last minute on him. So I just… stuck around, I guess. Some Christmas, huh?" Jisung glanced up with a laugh, trying to gauge Hyunjin's reaction.

The look in his eye was unreadable. "Uh huh."

Jisung cringed. "How about you? How about… the whole firefighter thing?"

"What?" Hyunjin scoffed teasingly, "don't you like a man in uniform?"

"Tell that to your biceps right now," Jisung shot back. It was true. The sleeves of his shirt were riding up.

Hyunjin just grinned, and only then did Jisung realize he basically just proved his point. "Shut up." His ears were burning.

"Well, you know I was thinking about going into dance for a while," Hyunjin started, still grinning -- smile faded as if lost in memories. "But then I got injured my second year of college and that pretty much knocked me out of the running for good." Noticing the frown forming on Jisung's face, Hyunjin rushed on, "S'okay though," he held up Doongie as proof. "The job has perks."

Jisung laughed, eyes crinkling in fondness he hadn't experienced in a long time. Hyunjin smiled at him, too, and it was almost  _ normal _ again. Then something brushed past Jisung's legs, knocking them uncomfortably back into reality. Soonie stared up at him, rubbing his head against Jisung's shins almost like he knew what he was doing.

"Well," Jisung said as he glanced back up at Hyunjin, a bitterness welling in his throat. "I shouldn't keep you from your job for too long."

"I suppose you're right. Jeongin'll be waiting for me— sorry about him, by the way," Hyunjin said, becoming more subdued with a glance down at Doongie, a small sigh escaping him as he gently passed the cat over to Jisung. "Also, I think I'm gonna give you my number. You know, so you don't have to go through 911 for your cat emergencies anymore," he teased. 

Jisung tried not to let his surprise show, covering it with an offended scoff. "Am I really that bad with cats?" He asked, watching Hyunjin size him up. His breath caught in his throat when he felt Hyunjin's hand slip into one of his back jeans pockets, hurriedly withdrawing the phone from there. Hyunjin flashed the camera at Jisung for the face unlock.

"Yes," Hyunjin muttered, shy in face of the pink hue coloring his cheeks as he typed into Jisung's contacts. "I—" his eyes shot up, meeting Jisung's in surprise. "You still have my number?"

"You didn't change it?" Jisung breathed out, holding Doongie against his pounding heart.

Hyunjin snorted. "Guess not."

"Nice," Jisung swallowed. "Do you— do you have mine?"

"No…" He said, sheepish. "You broke up with me, I thought for sure you'd already… I mean," he chuckled, though there was no humor in his tone. "You never answered any of my texts, I just thought—" he cut himself off, shaking his head in resignation. "You know what, it's fine. Just text or call whenever, and I'll… I'll come. If you need me."

The words felt heavy once again, and Jisung clung to Doongie, eyes wide. Hyunjin took one look at him and let out a shuddering breath. "Yeah okay, I gotta go."

"Hyunjin—"

"Try not to kill any more cats, Jisung."

"Bye then…" The door swung closed, and Jisung's heart weighed uncomfortably in his chest. It couldn't be a coincidence, could it? Hyunjin had somehow been on call for both of Jisung's emergencies. He really hadn't deserved Hwang Hyunjin back then, and Jisung couldn't see any reason why that fact would have changed.

√\/√

Jisung was the first to text. He figured it was only fair, what with the way he'd ignored all of Hyunjin's last messages years ago. (Out of respect and self preservation, Jisung continued to ignore them as he typed a new one.)

Ji: hey it's jisung

hyun.e: hey lol what happened now

Ji: nothing

The statement held true. He sat cross legged on the couch, the TV providing adequate background noise with some Hallmark film. Soonie was sprawled out across Jisung's lap, and Doongie nestled up against his side. Jisung gazed in worry at him, afraid that maybe he would suffer lasting consequences after the little wall episode. He tucked it away into the back of his mind to make an appointment for the cat at the vet when it wasn't… just after midnight the day before Christmas.

hyun.e: ???

Ji: just felt like texting you

Jisung winced but pressed send. He would probably be moving back to Japan at this rate anyway, so what was there to lose? 

Hyunjin didn't reply for several minutes.

hyun.e: k then weirdo

Ji: ur moms the weirdo

hyun.e: lmao ikr skdbsm Also I noticed u don't have any decorations up??

Ji: yea Minho didn't bother cuz he knew he wasn't gonna be here 

hyun.e: I can't get over the fact he just left you here lmao what a loser

Ji: fr

hyun.e: no u. Ur the loser

Ji: why do you type like a pubescent teenage girl

hyun.e: dont fuckig try me I'm not afraid to uwu at you bitvh

Ji: fuckig bitvh

hyun.e: stfu,, So I don't have work until later so I can come over and throw baubles at u is what im hearing

Ji: keep your baubles to yourself hwang

hyun.e: 😘

√\/√

hyun.e: sorry :(( somethin came up w work, might be a bit late

The text greeted Jisung when he woke up, sending him straight out of grogginess and into anxiety. Doongie leapt up and nudged against one of his knees. 

Ji: nono its fine Everything okay?

Hyunjin didn't answer. 

After about four minutes of staring at his phone and waiting for a response, Jisung shook himself out of it.  _ What are you doing? _ He was probably the last person Hyunjin would text updates to -- besides, how lame was it that he was actively waiting to correspond with his ex. Jisung heaved himself off the couch and into the kitchen, leaving his phone on the armrest. The cats meowed in anticipation of their food -- a routine that Jisung had somehow managed to uphold throughout all the chaos. 

If not for the square hole in the wall, Jisung would say he could be doing worse. At least Doongie had an appointment for Monday morning. 

His phone started ringing from the other room, and Jisung practically dumped the food into the bowls and ran for it. "Hello?" He answered, breathless.

Minho's laugh cut through the line. "Did I interrupt anything?"

"Just feeding the cats," Jisung said indignantly, scrunching his nose at the implication. "I was… waiting on another call."

Minho hummed. "Your new job?"

"It's not my job…"  _ yet _ . "Anyways, when are you coming back?"

"Miss me already?" Minho asked, smug. "I called you yesterday, Sung, surely you're not too lonely. Besides, you have the cats."

Jisung guffawed. 

"Hey, they're good company."

"Tell that to Chris."

"Channie knows my babies take priority," Minho said. Muffled noises of complaint sounded in the background, and then Minho was giggling. "When do you think we're going back, you licorice twizzler sour green apple lollipop of my eye?" Someone -- Chris, most likely -- groaned in the background. "He says there's supposed to be a storm, but as soon as that's over we'll be back. He has work on the 26th, unfortunately."

Jisung hummed. "You should let me meet him, before… yeah. Let me meet him."

"Yeah sure thing," he said, and though his tone was light, it also seemed a bit sad. "I'm gonna have to get my house back from you gremlin somehow."

Hours after the call with Minho ended, Hyunjin still hadn't contacted him. Jisung stroked a finger over Doongie's fur, trying to drown out his own worry with reassurances from the pets. He debated raiding Minho's wine stash, but it was only late afternoon -- Jisung didn't even like alcohol. Hyunjin was probably fine, just busy. 

Just as Jisung settled on putting on a movie, the doorbell rang. He leapt up, startling Doongie, and Soonie -- who just walked through the doorway. Jisung flung open the door to see an apologetic looking Hwang Hyunjin, bag of takeout held aloft as a peace offering.

Jisung let out a relieved sigh, rolling his eyes as he reached to let him in. "I thought you died."

"And get burned by something other than you?" He stepped through the doorway and into Jisung's personal space. Hyunjin breathed out, "Never." 

Jisung felt like he was getting sucked into Hyunjin's rather fond gaze, fuzzy warmth surrounding him the longer he looked at the man in front of him. Before he could stop himself, his arms were wrapping around Hyunjin's neck in a forceful hug. Hyunjin's hands came to steady him, resting hesitantly at his waist.

"Whoa, what's that for?" Hyunjin mumbled into Jisung's shoulder. He sank into the hug, familiar and comforting and so much different than before.

"Idiot. Answer your messages next time."

Hyunjin scoffed. "You're one to talk."

"Hey! It wasn't a life or death situation," Jisung said defensively, pulling away from Hyunjin with a sheepish glance in his direction. "You cannot compare them."

"Felt like it," Hyunjin muttered, and Jisung stared at the floor with new intensity. 

"I already had the visa, Hyunjin…" Jisung scuffed his fluffy socked foot against the marble of the foyer. "I thought cold turkey would be easier for both of us. I mean, we were just kids…"

"Yeah, kids…" Hyunjin stared at him for a moment longer before turning down the hallway. "I don't know if this needs to be reheated or not, so we can figure it out as we go."

"Hyunjin…"

"C'mon Jisung," he turned and started walking backwards, his smile held a hint of mockery that Jisung didn't know what to make of. "Szechuan chicken is your favorite."

He was right; of course he was.

Dinner passed by in a haze of out-of-place small talk and loaded glances. Jisung learned that the job Hyunjin was called in for related to a blaze that started up in the forest by the suburbs on the other side of town. Hyunjin typically dealt more in domestic cases than wildfires, but once the fire started nearing the houses it was all hands on deck.

"I didn't even have time to brush my teeth," Hyunjin grumbled, stretching back in his chair. A sliver of skin peeked out from beneath his shirt and Jisung's eyes darted away. 

"I sure hope you did before coming here," Jisung said, nudging his toe against Hyunjin's shin under the table. 

"Why?" Hyunjin shot back, a smirk playing on his lips. "Planning on invading my personal space bubble, Han?"

"I—" Jisung's mouth opened and closed, for once at a loss for words. Hyunjin's piercing gaze didn't waver, challenging him. "You said you were gonna help with decorations?"

Hyunjin let out a small huff, incredulity leaking from him as he glanced to the side for a second before meeting Jisung's eyes again. "Sure."

"Do you know where Minho keeps them?"

"Obviously."

Old Hyunjin seemed to be seeping back in, slowly but surely. His sarcasm and snappy responses no longer had that light air of humor around them, leaving Jisung confused and guilty. It had to be his fault, but what did he do? Jisung followed him in silence, practically shrinking in on himself. Hyunjin slipped into the storage closet and came back out with armfuls of lights. He shoved some in Jisung's hands before darting away to the garage.

Jisung stayed where he was, staring where the door had slammed behind Hyunjin. Soonie padded up from down the hall to sit beside Jisung's feet and look at the door too. His tail flicked from side to side, grazing Jisung's ankles every so often. 

"Coming?" Hyunjin cracked the door open and spoke while looking at the cat. Jisung scoffed.

"Yeah, sure."

It was dead quiet in the space between them apart from the rush of the wind. Hyunjin climbed the ladder with practiced ease, and Jisung didn't have another choice but to just watch as he strung the lights along the roof edge. "Sung," he called down, and Jisung glanced up.

"What?"

"Light em up."

Jisung plugged it in, and looked up just in time to see it light up Hyunjin's face. Snarkiness seemingly forgotten, Hyunjin grinned, a small giggle slipping out as he glanced at Jisung. Even from ten feet below, Jisung could see the lights reflected in Hyunjin's eyes, reminiscent of stars against a backdrop of darkness. His breath hitched for a second, and then Jisung broke eye contact, shooting his gaze towards the pebbles below him with a small smile.

_ Hwang Hyunjin never lost his sparkle. _

Not to Jisung, at least.

"Did you hear about the storm?" Jisung asked, walking forward so he could rest his hand on a ring of the ladder, head tilted up towards Hyunjin.

"Yeah, pretty cool, huh?"

Jisung grinned and bit his lip to prevent the snickers from escaping. "I mean it should be pretty  _ cold _ , yeah."

Hyunjin turned around slowly to blink at Jisung in disappointment. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, something stopped him. He motioned at Jisung to stay quiet, and climbed even further up the ladder. Jisung let out a small screech of protest as Hyunjin slid onto the roof. Hyunjin glanced over his shoulder and shot him a reassuring smile.

In the tense silence after Hyunjin disappeared from view, Jisung could finally hear it. Tiny meows came from the roof, much too tiny to be coming from a grown cat. Jisung's eyes widened. Quiet 'shhh'ing noises soon followed, and then–

"Hey hey, you're not Santa, little one."

A moment later, Hyunjin reappeared and began his descent -- a small gray brown kitten was draped over his forearm, claws digging into the skin there. He winced as he touched the ground and turned to Jisung. With a sheepish smile, Hyunjin lifted his arm as if it explained everything. "Little guy was trying to climb into the chimney. Poor thing is probably cold."

Jisung melted. "Let's get it inside."

Hyunjin cradled the cat close to his chest, ducking through the door with a nod of thanks as Jisung held it open. A sudden gust of wind made it nearly impossible for Jisung to pull the door closed. Just as he finally managed, Jisung went stumbling back from the force -- straight into Hyunjin. "Sorry," Jisung said as Hyunjin steadied him. 

"No worries," Hyunjin said, his lips twisted into a half-smile. 

"Uh— what happened to the kitty?"

"Oh," Hyunjin started, backing up a bit. "I made a little nest of blankets on the floor by the couch, but we should definitely get back to observe him."

"Him?"

"Little Guy has a little guy of his own, so…" Hyunjin trailed off, and Jisung let out a snort.

"Okay, well, let's go make sure Little Guy isn't getting mauled by the big guys." Jisung pushed past Hyunjin and continued into the livingroom -- where he'd been sleeping for the past few days. Sure enough, the kitten lay nestled in a tiny volcano of fluffy polyester in the middle of the room. Jisung laughed at the placement, and glanced back to see Hyunjin scowling.

"Hey, I didn't know where to put him!" 

Jisung brushed aside the comment and fell to the ground beside the miniature cat. Doongie peeked around the edge of the couch, and Jisung tried to shoo him away. Too many new things might overwhelm the kitten. Hyunjin bent and scooped Doongie up in his arms once again. The kitten let out soft snorting noises as it struggled to lift itself from the depths of the blankets. Jisung smiled fondly at the cat, and then up at Hyunjin when he walked towards them. 

Hyunjin lay down opposite Jisung, on the other side of the kitten blanket pile. Head propped up on his hand, Hyunjin just looked at him.

Playing it cool, Jisung met his eyes. "Something on your mind?"

"Yeah… What are we gonna call this little one?"

That wasn't what he was thinking about -- Jisung knew him well enough to know that much, at least. He'd take the bait for now, though. "Hmm… If you squint, he looks kind of like Tomi."

Hyunjin did squint, and Jisung poked him. 

"Asshole. What's your offering?"

"I, personally, think he looks like that one fish from Nemo," Hyunjin said with a shrug.

"Fuck, you're right."

"Dory it is."

Jisung rolled his eyes. "Dori with an I, then— if you're gonna stick him with a name like that, at least add some spice to it."

"Oooh I'm not like other girls."

They fell into silence, just watching Dori in ambiance. Jisung felt himself beginning to drift. It'd been quite a while since he felt this content.

"We should get him some water," Hyunjin said with a gasp, scrambling to his feet and shuffling into the kitchen. Jisung's eyelids were so heavy as Dori gently nipped at his thumb. Another gasp came from the kitchen. "Jisung! It's snowing. Like, really hard."

"Ah, shit," Jisung mumbled. "I'm sorry Hyunjin."

"Why are you sorry?" He asked, walking back in the room. He crouched by Jisung and lifted Dori to lap from the small bowl of water he brought. 

"I'm not gonna let you leave now," Jisung said, rolling onto his back. He squeezed his eyes closed even tighter against the shift in light. "You've nearly died enough for today."

One of Hyunjin's hands smoothed back Jisung's hair. "Did you think I was gonna leave you here  _ alone _ with the baby cat? After your track record?" He let out a low laugh. 

"Merely an unfortunate series of events," Jisung slurred, pointer finger waving obscure patterns in the air above him. Hyunjin laughed again.

"Here," Hyunjin said, standing up suddenly. Jisung whined at the loss of contact as Hyunjin carried the bowl back to the kitchen. It felt as though he blinked, and then Hyunjin was back, face hovering above Jisung's, whispering. "Can I pick you up?"

"I dunno," Jisung muttered cheekily. "Can you?"

Hyunjin made a noise of dismissal, and then there were hands gripping Jisung's thighs and back.

"Whoa, you have permission for carrying, not groping."

"Shut up," Hyunjin murmured, hoisting Jisung up in the air. He was stronger than he looked, holding Jisung just as easily as one of the cats. His cheeks were dusted with a light pink hue when Jisung peeked one of his eyes open.

"Pretty," Jisung sighed, eyelids sliding closed once more.

"Hm?"

"You're prettier than highschool."

Hyunjin snorted. "I sure hope so."

"Hey, I liked teenage Hyunjin quite a lot, I'll have you know," Jisung said as Hyunjin laid him down on the couch. "Sure, maybe a bit dramatic and hormonal, but lovable nonetheless."

Hyunjin shook his head, leaning to retrieve the blanket piled at the far side of the couch. "Highschool Han Jisung was loud and obnoxious," he said, pulling the blanket up over Jisung and tucking it under his feet without being asked. "But somehow managed to weasel his way into my heart."

"And then yeet," Jisung added solemnly.

"Yeet indeed," Hyunjin chuckled bitterly, "to another country without so much as a hug. Bitch." He turned away, but the grip on his wrist made him stumble back.

"You're not sleeping on the floor," Jisung insisted, and yanked Hyunjin back. Hyunjin fell into a sitting position beside him, and Jisung smiled sleepily. "Come here." Hyunjin didn't have much of a choice except to lay down beside him, the couch only allowing a sparse few inches of space between them. The minimal space disappeared completely as Jisung drew Hyunjin close to him. "I'll hug you and never let go, if that'll make it better."

Hyunjin's eyes widened. 

"Relax, I'm not gonna knife you or whatever."

He felt as Hyunjin melted in his hold once again. With all his new muscles and bravery, he still molded like putty beneath Jisung's fingers. Maybe it was extra shitty of Jisung to fake sleep when he felt Hyunjin trying to pull away -- maybe some portion of him wasn't ready to let go again. Hyunjin stroked along his back absentmindedly, and Jisung felt himself genuinely drifting off. Just as he lingered on the edge of sleep, Hyunjin hushed something and brushed his lips to the tip of Jisung's nose.

He probably gave himself away, but Jisung couldn't hold back a smile as he finally fell into oblivion.

√\/√

"Holy  _ fuck _ it's happening," someone said in a very not quiet whisper, infiltrating the warm contentment of Jisung's dream. He nudged himself closer to the warmth and wrapped his arms tighter around it. Jisung sighed and then drew in a deep inhale. Irish Spring and the faint underlying scent of smoke. The corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily.

"I have the camera," another person murmured in a slight accented tone.

"Soonie, Doongie," the first speaker said, and there was the sound of plastic rustling. Purring ensued. "My loves."

"Hey, babe, did you have three cats when we left?"

"No?" The voice registered in some vague, sleepy corner of Jisung's mind. They gasped. "I thought you knew me better than that, Channie."

_ Channie _ .

A groan sounded way too close to Jisung to be either one of the new arrivals. He pushed himself upright with a tired groan of his own, blinking in the brightness of the room. Whoever lay beside him let out a yelp, and Jisung's eyes snapped down.  _ Hwang Hyunjin. _

"Can you, like, maybe  _ not _ put all your weight on my ribs?" He coughed out, and Jisung promptly scrambled back. Minho peeked around the doorway to join a man Jisung had only seen behind the wheel of a pickup truck several days ago.

"Oh, good, you're both here already," Minho said, nonchalant as ever. "Merry Christmas." He turned away and gestured for the guy -- Chris -- to follow. "If you fucked anywhere in this house there will be irrevocable consequences upon your entire bloodline."

Hyunjin spluttered, and Jisung didn't need a mirror to know his own ears were burning red. They exchanged a wary glance before slipping off the couch and into the hallway. Chris shot them a sympathetic look once they entered the kitchen, and only then did Jisung take notice of the small cat in his hands.

"You couldn't have told me you were gonna get a kitten while I was gone, Han Jisung," Minho said, face buried in the fridge. "I would have prepared better."

"Well—"

"It was kind of…" Hyunjin started, earning him a place under Minho's piercing gaze. "Not planned?"

"Explain."

"It was on the roof," Jisung supplied, "we were setting up lights, and Hyunjin saved it from, uh, the fate of…" he looked over to Hyunjin for help.

"Santa Claws."

Jisung didn't know whether to give him a high five or scathing look. Minho had the second option covered. 

"And?"

"And…?"

"Do you expect me to take in another cat?" Minho asked, prompting Hyunjin to cast Jisung a worried look.

"Yes?"

"...Yeah okay. I will."

The hours leading up to dinner passed in a blur only associated with Christmas Day. Minho filled them in on everything he had done with Chris and his family, going as far to say that the only thing the bang family failed at as a whole was cooking. Chan flushed in embarrassment as Minho graphically described how he tried to make them breakfast one day and spent whole minutes trying to figure out the technicalities of an omelette. The way that they spoke about each other with so much love in their voices made something twist in Jisung's chest. He poked at his casserole, eyes fixed on the plate until a hand landed on his thigh with a reassuring squeeze.

Jisung glanced up to see Hyunjin talking animatedly with Chris about something. He caught Jisung's eye and flashed his teeth briefly in a smile. It wasn't exactly butterflies that surged up following this action, but rather a familiar and comforting sensation. All the things that came with loving Hwang Hyunjin.

"Yeah, so his sister is like, in a literal band, right?" Minho said to the table at large, "and he plays about fifty million instruments too, just ask him. This family leaves no talent for the rest of us."

Hyunjin turned to a thoroughly embarrassed Chris and asked, "bass?"

"...yeah."

"Sax?" Jisung chimed in, catching Hyunjin's smile out of the corner of his eye. 

"Mhm."

"Oboe?"

"A few notes."

"I told you," Minho exclaimed, grinning so wide it must have hurt as he rested his chin on Chan's shoulder. Pride shone through in everything he was saying, as if trying to make up for every single deserved compliment Chris hadn't received. "A musical Einstein."

"Beethoven's second reincarnation," Jisung said.

"What was his first?" Hyunjin directed the question at him, and Jisung caught sight of the slight shine to his eyes for the first time since dinner started -- nearly identical to what he saw that night with all the holiday lights.

"Beyoncé?" Jisung blinked. "I thought that was obvious."

"But she's not dead?"

"Beethoven's built different, what can I say?"

Hyunjin looked as though he wanted to say something, but instead he turned away, back into conversation with the couple. Jisung didn't think much of it until it was time to clean up. Chris and Minho leapt at the opportunity to wash and dry dishes together, and Jisung shuddered at the implications. Before he could voice his suspicions, however, Hyunjin's hand hand moved to tangle with his.

Jisung's breath caught. He allowed himself to be dragged out the front door and onto the front step despite his lack of footwear. 

"I need to know," Hyunjin said, turning to him as soon as they were both out on the porch. He took both of Jisung's hands in his own and gazed at him earnestly. "Are you going to stay?"

For Hyunjin's sake, Jisung bit back the nervous laughter bubbling up. "...I don't know."  _ Only if you ask. _

"Let me try again," Hyunjin cleared his throat. He raised their hands to mimic that of an awkward slow dance position. "Han Jisung, are you going to stay?"

"Maybe," fell from his lips, the fog of his and Hyunjin's breath intermingled beneath the porch light. 

Hyunjin took a deep breath and rested his forehead against Jisung's. "I am asking you to stay, Han Jisung, and I swear to god if you hear that and walk out of my life again—"

Jisung cut him off with a peck to the corner of his mouth. "Pretty."

"What?"

"Pretty  _ ugly _ ."

"That's not what you said last night."

Hyunjin pouted, and Jisung laughed. He detached his dominant hand from Hyunjin's to hold his jaw and look him in the eyes. "I'll take the job here, but you're going to help me prep for the interview, got it?"

"Haven't I helped you enough this week?" 

"Weren't you just doing your  _ civil duty _ ?" Jisung teased, leaning forward with a small smile. Hyunjin hummed and connected their lips in a  _ welcome home _ kiss.

"Do you kiss all the fuck-ups you come in contact with on the job?" Jisung asked through a giggle, arms thrown over Hyunjin's shoulders and hands laced behind his neck. 

"Only you,  _ sweetums _ ."

"Oh  _ hell _ no. We are not doing that."

"My little  _ dingleberry _ ."

Jisung gagged, causing Hyunjin to burst out in laughter. He buried his face into Jisung's shoulder, and Jisung gazed down at his dark head of hair fondly. The door creaked, and they both glanced over.

"Sorry to interrupt," Minho said, "but anyone wanna tell me why the  _ fuck _ there's a hole in my wall?"

**Author's Note:**

> I was quite proud of this I aint gonna lie. 
> 
> Also I think it's probably not a good sign that my family finally agreed (after legit 7 years of begging) to get a cat while I was in the middle of writing the series of unfortunate events: feline edition 💀 submitting the adoption application tmrw wish me luck lol


End file.
